THE QUEEN’S SPEECH
18TH MAY 2016
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THE QUEEN’S SPEECH MARKS THE STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT IN BRITAIN, WHICH SETS OUT THE GOVERNMENT’S AGENDA FOR THE COMING SESSION, AND IS THE ONLY REGULAR OCCASION WHEN THE THREE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF PARLIAMENT – THE SOVEREIGN, THE HOUSE OF LORDS AND THE HOUSE OF COMMONS MEET.
THE DAY BEGINS WITH THE QUEEN’S PROCESSION FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO WESTMINSTER, DURING WHICH SHE IS ESCORTED BY THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY.
RECENTLY, THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH WERE TRANSPORTED IN A NEW (AND IT IS SAID VERY COMFORTABLE) STATE COACH WHICH WAS BUILT IN AUSTRALIA. THE EXQUISITE COACH WAS PULLED BY 6 HORSES (MAJESTIC WINDSOR GREYS AS ALWAYS.)
THE QUEEN ARRIVED AT SOVEREIGN’S ENTRANCE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE ‘ROBING ROOM’, TO DRESS IN HER SPARKLING IMPERIAL STATE CROWN AND THE ROBE OF STATE. AFTER WHICH SHE LED THE ROYAL PROCESSION THROUGH THE ROYAL GALLERY, TO THE CHAMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS. THEN AN OFFICIAL KNOWN AS ‘BLACK ROD’ WAS SENT TO SUMMON THE COMMONS.
THE DOORS TO THE COMMONS CHAMBER WERE SHUT IN HIS FACE – (A PRACTICE DATING BACK TO THE CIVIL WAR, SYMBOLISING THE COMMONS’ INDEPENDENCE FROM THE MONARCHY.) BLACK ROD THEN STRUCK THE DOOR THREE TIMES BEFORE IT WAS OPENED AGAIN, AND THEN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FOLLOWED BLACK ROD TO THE LORDS CHAMBER, TO LISTEN TO THE QUEEN’S SPEECH.
THE QUEEN THEN READ THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. WHEN THE QUEEN LEFT, A PARLIAMENTARY SESSION STARTED AND MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES DEBATED THE CONTENT OF THE SPEECH, AND THE QUEEN TRAVELLED BACK TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE IN HER BEAUTIFUL COACH.